Russia launched its biggest air attack on Ukraine since the start of a full-scale invasion in April 2014. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, at least 28 separate flights of military aircraft were recorded on Tuesday, with most of the planes targeting the government-held cities of Shakhtarsk and Mariupol in Ukraine’s east. The planes reportedly dropped more than 80 bombs in and around the two cities. Ukrainian forces also reported ground clashes in Mariupol and Shakhtarsk. The attacks come less than a week after the Ukrainian government accused Russian-backed rebels of launching a new offensive near Mariupol in violation of a ceasefire that has been in place since 2015.
